The Jerky Drop

I love the idea of shopping locally, especially at Christmas if it means staying out of crowded malls!
Who knew that this year's shopping adventures would involve meeting up with a local entrepreneur in his parking garage?

With my crazy schedule, I'm all for saving time and money with Amazon Prime but when possible I'd rather shop, eat, and dine with the locals. Here are two of my favorites:

Manready Mercantile

Travis Weaver, or in Mathis-family-parlance "The Jerky Guy", creates amazing candles (Frankincense & Orange) made with essential oils and poured into whiskey glasses. His soaps (Bergamot + Teak, Lemon + Verbena) were a hit with both the males and females. The jerky..oh yes the jerky… Whiskey Soaked Campfire Jerky, in its own little burlap sack, will send you running for your nearest tent, flannel shirt, and backpack. Everything he sells is top-quality and sure to please the manliest man you know. Order online, find at the local flea market at Discovery Green, or give him a call. He's easy to work with!

The Grateful Bread

Not only a Jerky Drop, but also a Bacon Buy. Thank you Al Marcus for taking my order over the phone and leaving the bacon, plus the other goodies, at Eatsie Boys for me to pick up. (And who couldn't use an excuse to make a trip to EB? Their ice cream alone deserves its own post.)
We first found Grateful Bread at Urban Harvest Farmer's Market and quickly became fans. The artisan maple-cured, maple-smoked bacon is…well "to die for" is so overused but in this case - yep! Throw in some small-batch vanilla, house made worcestershire and sriracha and this family was sold.